Movie Updates

[MistyMountain67]

2/17/2004
Q&A with Peter Jackson - by someone who was there:
'I was privileged enough to attend a showing of RoTK at the Director's Guild, where Peter Jackson attended a Q&A session. I met him afterwards, and had time to ask him only ONE question. Here's what I chose: "Would Andy Serkis and Hugo Weaving also be willing to return to their roles for THE HOBBIT?" Jackson's answer was "Oh, I guess they would...(after thinking)...I'm SURE they would."'
(Andy Serkis played Gollum, Hugo Weaving Elrond)


taken from http://www.thehobbit-movie.com

[Wilwarin]

Well that's good news isn't it? I knew Andy Serkis would. He like, owns the Gollum character now.

[MistyMountain67]

very good news. i think we'll see a hobbit movie within the next few years.

[Feebeefi]

Judging by that, most definatly!;) :thumbs: ;) :thumbs: ;) :thumbs:

[Fool of a Took]

I just hope the legal issues get sorted out.

[Eomer's Mistress]

I'm watching the Oscar.com live streaming video of the press interviewing PJ and someone just asked him about making The Hobbit. He just said that New Line has the rights to make the movie, but not to distribute it, which belongs to MGM. So, he said that the legal issues will "hopefully" take years to resolve and then the Hobbit can be made. So, I wonder how long it will take. But when it does get resolved, it will be awesome to see. He also said that he would want Ian McKellen to be Gandalf and others to be specific characters so it is like LotR. It's good news to hear such positive comments from PJ re: The Hobbit. :grin: ;)

[Eoden]

i heard this movie is coming out on dec 16 2006

[Silme]

That wasn't an actual release date. That's from a fan trailer that someone made (that's actually been around for at least two years.)

[JemFinch]

Ok....
Peter Jackson recently (I believe it was at the "Evening With Peter Jackson Event", but I'm not sure...there are quotes from him at TORN (http://www.theonering.net) , yes I admit I've been to anothe site...though this one is infinitely better..lol)said he'd start the Hobbit in about 3 or 4 years! :hooray: Which means...dum dum dum dum....here's where we can talk about all updates in the filmmaking process...but until that 3 or four years is finally over..
Are you guys happy he's gonna make the hobbit?

[Onilalle]

Happy he's definitely gonna make it, but hacked off we'll have to wait about 4 years!! mecry

[JemFinch]

Yeah really. lol Gives us all time to try out to be extras, though. ;) I'd love to do ANYTHING...linking together chainmail for 10 hours a day, attaching pieces of hair onto a wig strand by strand, cleaning the horse's stalls, washing the costumes...ANYTHING!!! lol I'd like to be ther person who runs around getting PJ his coffee. lol

[Sirion]

I'd like to be on the set as well. When I watch the bonus features on extended DVDs, I wish so much to take part in the making of anything related to Tolkien's books. By the way, I am very curious about the Hobbit movie. I wonder if it can possibly be as good as the Trilogy. But I'll gladly wait for what's PJ going to show us.

[Onilalle]

I'd love to be in it personally... I might even get my degree in conceptual art/directing by then (yes, I want to be a director :blush: ) So the chances of me getting a job in a film might be slightly higher... :huh: But we'll have to see, as I am so excited and I'm sure time will fly... before we know it the film will be in pre-production... :grin: lol

[JemFinch]

(yes, I want to be a director :blush: )

I actually am moving toward that, myself. :blush: I'm hoping to start a film soon, and enter it into the film festival.
It's a bummer there are no female parts in the Hobbit, or I'd try out. :grin:

[Onilalle]

Darn, I know :rolleyes:
Hey, that is so great you want to persue a career in film! :hyper: The whole production thing just fascinates me... I look forward to starting my own little screenplay :blush: lol
Still, best we can do is wait, eh? And think about it... This will be another epic; I am very much counting on PJ for this one :naughty: :thumbs:

[Amithrellas]

Happy he's definitely gonna make it, but hacked off we'll have to wait about 4 years!! mecry
Got to remember how long LotR took him ;) and then it'll seem brief. Take heart! More time to get to New Zealand to be in place hee hee

[Ivanhoe]

I'll miss the atmosphere each Christmas, waiting fo the new Lotr film to be released. This year it'll be King Kong at least, but I want a PJ movie every year! But I know that if it'll take him a few years to film the Hobbit, it's going to be worth waiting!!!

[JemFinch]

Hey, that is so great you want to persue a career in film! :hyper: The whole production thing just fascinates me... I look forward to starting my own little screenplay :blush: lol
:

Thanks..yeah. I love to write (ok..I don't like the writing itself, but I love living in the story, and the world. My hobby is to walk around in circles and think of stories. I feel just completely thrust into it. But the problem is that THAT is when I am most excited..once I start writing or typing, it gets difficult. :mmmm: ), and I love to act. So directing kind of deals with both. :grin:
I'm terrified of all the technical stuff. :p I'm just trying to get a hang of it now, by filming me and my sisters doing LOTR. (we did lots of scenes from it in play form on Christmas Eve..it was incredible). So I'm trying to watch and pause and all that and draw out all the camera angles. :o This will take a while. :grin: But I'm very excited.

[Fëalossë]

Hmm, I think I'll sticky this thread. Let us know here if you hear anything new!

[Lady Nenya]

4 years!!! That's quite a long wait! But I guess within that timespan we can all get each other hyped up for the film release. :hyper: I can't wait to see if The Hobbit will live up to be as good the trilogy turned out.

[Onilalle]

We shall simply have to see. ;) lol I think that even if it doesn't, it will be wonderful to see this awesome little book put into film. I can't wait - and I have great expectations for it! :yahoo:

[Lady Nenya]

Even if it doesn't turn out as good(which I doubt ) I will still be happy to revisit ME again. It will just be a good feeling to see it! I'm excited!! :grin:

[JemFinch]

I found this article on the Fox News website from March 8th.

NEW YORK — Peter Jackson won't be returning to the Shire any time soon. The Oscar-winning director is planning to film "The Hobbit," (search) the prequel to "The Lord of the Rings," (search) trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien (search), but two studios must first fight over legal rights to the film.

Jackson said New Line Cinema has the rights to make the movie, but MGM has the rights to distribute it.

"I guess MGM's lawyers and New Line's lawyers are going to have a huge amount of fun over the next few years trying to work it all out," he told reporters recently in Los Angeles, according to AP Radio. "I'm obviously busy for a couple of years on 'King Kong' so those lawyers can just go at it for a long time."

"The Hobbit" tells the story of Bilbo Baggins, who found the ring and eventually passes it on to his cousin, Frodo Baggins. Frodo's journey to Mount Doom to destroy the ring is the basis for the "Rings" books and films.

Jackson said if he were going to direct the movie, he'd want it to feel like the rest of the trilogy. On Sunday, Jackson won an Academy Award for best director shared the adapted-screenplay award with his two co-writers for the final "Rings" film, "The Return of the King."

Nothing really new or exciting, but I thought it was interesting Jackson wanted the Hobbit to feel like the rest of the Trilogy. Do you guys agree with him?

[Lady Nenya]

Yes I definetly agree with him! I would love it if The Hobbit had the same sort of feelings as the trilogy. So that way there would be a nice smooth transition into LotR.

[JemFinch]

Yeah, I agree but disagree....The spirit of the book the Hobbit is different than the trilogy. I don't know..it's like everything is more,hmm, how to put it...fantastical? more full of awe? Like maybe the elves should be different and things..I don't know, I can't really express it, but I feel like it should be different. :-/

[Lady Nenya]

Ya I understand what your saying. It has a very unique feel quite different from that of the trilogy. I do hope for the same sort of feeling but while still keeping things straight, which I'm sure Peter can do well. He's already proven that he can with the trilogy. :)

[JemFinch]

Definitely! :thumbs: I'm not worried...I'll see it 10 times if it is like the trilogy. There are some great emotional aspects that he can do real well...like when Thorin dies, he could do that really great, he always has good death scenes. And if he did Shelob, he could do the dragon, and make it look great.
I think elves will have to change, though. :-/

[IronHills Dwarf]

I think what some of you are trying to express in terms of the difference between "The Hobbit" and LotR is that the Hobbit is Bilbo's story. Bilbo doesn't have much life experience outside his own comfortable Shire so the tale will have a different perspective (or should have at least) than Lord of the Rings. LotR is not told from a single perspective but from many, so you do get a more rounded picture of cultures etc... So I'd agree things like the Elves should change, not only because they should be seen from Bilbo's viewpoint, but because the other main characters are dwarves. ;)

[Aragorn]

The other point is that the Hobbit was written as a children's tale, so perhaps it should be filmed in that vein as well. I'm sure that PJ will make it great regardless of what style he pursues with it.

[Dunthule]

I agree with both of you IronHills Dwarf and Aragorn. It always had more of a childrens story "feel" to it. And Bilbo and the dwarves are the main, consistent characters. Gandalf comes and goes. Gollum has his bit part. The goblins/orcs seemed more buffoonish.
The Wood Elver were sinister compared to Elrond and the elves at the Last Homely House.
In fact, I read The Hobbit prior to reading or knowing anything about LoTR, and the ring seemed like a "good" thing to me at the time. :rolleyes:

But now, we all know what the ring really is going into the movie.
Kind of like the recent Star Wars movies where we all know what happens to Aniken Skywalker before it happens. ;)

It's exciting to see what PJ and team will do with the book. :cool:

[Aerlinn uial]

I can't wait to see what PJ makes of the Hobbit either :D It's going to be awesome however he does it. Contrary to some people, I feel it would be a pretty good idea to make Hobbit with the same type of style as the trilogy. After all, it is really closely connected with it because it's essentially the prologue. The hobbit was supposed to be a children's story, and i remember when I read it for the first time how much better it would be if it were written like LotR, but I dont think Tolkien planned to write a sequel.
Can't wait! *disco*

[Peppyy]

Here is a link with news about The Hobbit movie:
Fan site about The Hobbit movie (http://derhobbit-film.de/indexengl.shtml)

[estel4me]

Of course The Hobbit should feel like the rest of the trilogy! At least, Middle-earth should feel the same. :hyper: I just can't wait!!!!

[crazymonkey 4 frodo]

I'm excited!!! I think I get that way quite easily:-/

[Stormcrow]

Yeah, I really hope they stay true to everything in Middle Earth..and as of the dwarves beard and hair colours...keep them regular colours in my opinion. Reading about dwarves with blue and yellow hair colours was very strange.

[MariaRaziel]

Well, since the las post was on October last year, i want to update this thread with some things...

MGM is on the talk with PJ's representants about the possibility of make Th Hobbit Film directed by Jackson!!!
I think this is good news since all the fans or al teast the majority are very anxious to see this history in the big screen.... What do you think PJ's answer will be?....

[Elfdaughter]

Hopefully it'll be a 'yes'!!

[Iradil]

ill take the role of P.J,

hmm let me think, hmmm, hmmm i dunno, hmmmm, i was going to no, hmmmm, alright you've twisted my arm ill do it.

[Mark]

It looks like Peter Jackson won't be directing The Hobbit after all: http://www.theonering.net/perl/newsview/8/1163993546
I read it and then just sat there in silence for about 10 minutes at the shock of it.

[JemFinch]

I forgot where, but PJ himself said that it would be "weird" if anyone else did it but him. So I think he'll definitely be the one to do it, if it's done at all.

I'm starting to think this won't be done for quite some time, maybe even longer than that initial five years. He's got a lineup already...right now "The Lovely Bones." He's also producing a movie adaptation of Halo. Plus, I think "The Hobbit" won't come until Peter Jackson's burning fame dies down a little bit. "The Hobbit" would be the perfect way to get his ratings back up if they ever do go down, because of all of us who would see it 20 million times. lol


Edit:
Well, scrap that idea. When I wrote this I had accidentally skipped Mark's post. I'm stunned. "We got to go there- but not back again..." Wow. This is gonna take a while to get over.

[Fingolfin]

Hey everybody,

I was just reading a link on MSN. Looks like Peter Jackson will not be directing the Hobbit. There is a bright spot here though... New Line Cinema is going to still make the Hobbit and a Prequel to Lord of the Rings. That is truly exciting news. I have cut and pasted the link. This is not rumors, this is fact... Let me know what you think...

http://movies.msn.com/movies/article.aspx?news=242681&GT1=7701


I just hope who ever does these two movies will atleast follow the same detail that Jackson and Wingnut Films...

One thing that I am very adament about is they better keep the same actors for Bilbo, Gandalf and Elrond.

Thoughts???? :-/

[creativecutie]

I'm excited for the movie, but I guess I'm slightly disappointed that PJ will not be directing the movie. I thought his perfect vision for LOTR would inspire the companies to let him direct it but I guess not. This of course won't stop me from seeing the movie, it's just a little upsetting that it won't be directed by PJ. He just did such a nice job with LOTR, I would've liked to see that vision brought to the prequel. But oh well.

[Tar-Ancalimë]

Looks like Peter Jackson will not be directing the Hobbit.

Oh my. Life is officially not worth living anymore. :(

[creativecutie]

Yeah, it just doesn't seem fair does it?

[Eowyn]

Nope doesn't seem fair at all.

It's a shame but I just want to see it get made.

[Mirkgirl]

*wonders whether tis smart (or safe for that reason) to say it, but*

I never liked the guy (as a director). Sorry. I can see it could be done worse, but I can also see possibitilies to make it better. Cant see it as a tragedy at any case.

Hope we get a great movie

you can stone me, but its the truth from where Im standing

[Eowyn]

Everyone's allowed their opinions. I don't think he's a bad director but there are other directors quite capable of directing the Hobbit.

[Faramir]

well, back at War Of The Ring. My it's beena while. Hey Eowyn, sweetie.

anyway, here's an interesting globe editorial on the matter: http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/editorials/articles/2006/11/30/the_hobbits_weep/

i really wish PJ got to direct it/gets to somehow. It would bring good closure to the story. It sucks that the issue is over the unpleasant issue of money. BUt if someone else directs it, im sure the director will understand the weight on their shoulders with making it true to the book and Jackson's trilogy. I'd just hope they don't take too much of artistic license and throw in their own crap, which Jackson didn't do (too much)

And it would have to be filmed in New Zealand. No question.

[Eowyn]

Faramir, welcome back!

That article surprises me actually. I never thought he would kick up a fuss over money. Surely once you've signed the contract and agreed on your pay for the job you can't turn around afterwards and request more because you did well. Imagine if buidlers and plumbers did that (although they probably overcharge to begin with)

Oh it'd be filmed in NZ without a doubt but if PJ has kicked up a fuss over the pay this time i doubt they'll risk taking him on to do the hobbit now.

[Fingolfin]

To tell you the truth, I'm really disappointed in PJ. I mean come on... Didn't he make enough money with the trilogy??? Heck! Doesn't he think he has enough money? Come talk to me cause I will take some of his... I'm sure he made more money then any of us will see in a life time.

I do agree, However he would be the best director for the movie. I mean come on if you made the first three I'm sure you would have ideas for the next two movies ya know and new line is stupid for not realizing that as well!!! However, there are other directors out there that can do it and be just as creative and imaginative as PJ. (Just follow the story line!!)

So with that said, I'm just excited to see the next two movies are being made... I mean, heck, I'm just as excited in seeing the trailer at the movies for them!! Let all just hope that they are just as good if not better than the Lord of the Rings....;)

[IronHills Dwarf]

I think there's a bit of a misunderstanding about what PJ is kicking a fuss up over. ;)

Specifically he's suing because he didn't get proper royalty payments (most likely specifically with regards to DVDs). The royalty structuring is often confusing (on purpose), I suspect that he's fallen victim to an old scheme with video distribution. Namely that a wholly owned subsidiary of the production company handles the home entertainment distribution, this allows for a huge chunk of the overall profits of the film to be sucked back into payments to the subsidiary (which ends back up with the production company in effect). What this means is that those further down the royalty chain get their royalty percentage after those above them in the chain have had their royalty payed.

Simple example - $20 mil made in DVD sales, big star 1 gets $1 mil, next star gets royalty off of $19 mil - not $20 mil. Basically there's a million and one ways that studios attempt to hide profit.

Folks with enough pull in the industry have special clauses in the contract to deal with this. Anyways it's more than just grubbing for cash, PJ has spent lots of his own hard earned $ on various film related projects, from my understanding he's not a living an outrageous lifestyle.

Either way I'd actually welcome a fresh approach to Middle-earth, to be honest, I was rather disillusioned after seeing the RotK Extended cut...:rolleyes:

[Lessa]

As I understood it he asked for an audit rather than specific payments. Now this could mean either he's been paid too much or not enough but he wants to know either way.

[IronHills Dwarf]

The audit is an attempt to track down all the profits. ;)

[Gil Galad]

ah the old publishing scam, its big in the music industry too

[Eowyn]

Specifically he's suing because he didn't get proper royalty payments (most likely specifically with regards to DVDs). The royalty structuring is often confusing (on purpose), I suspect that he's fallen victim to an old scheme with video distribution. Namely that a wholly owned subsidiary of the production company handles the home entertainment distribution, this allows for a huge chunk of the overall profits of the film to be sucked back into payments to the subsidiary (which ends back up with the production company in effect). What this means is that those further down the royalty chain get their royalty percentage after those above them in the chain have had their royalty payed.

Simple example - $20 mil made in DVD sales, big star 1 gets $1 mil, next star gets royalty off of $19 mil - not $20 mil. Basically there's a million and one ways that studios attempt to hide profit.

lol how do you know all these little tidbits of info? That sounds like the way the company I work for sorts out the pay scales :p

[IronHills Dwarf]

lol how do you know all these little tidbits of info? That sounds like the way the company I work for sorts out the pay scales :p

Lots of secret agents. :p Actually finding out about the way the movie industry works financially is not particularly difficult - if you feel like actually researching it. It's something of an interest of mine so I like to keep tabs on things as much as I can. Sometimes it's a bit of speculation about a particular case but I'm pretty sure this (well, something in this general vein) is what's going on for PJ.

Still makes me laugh to see people comparing production budgets with box office receipts... :rolleyes: lol

[Eowyn]

wow I'm impressed. Well I know who to ask next time I have a question about film finances ;)

Hopefully, PJ's situation will be resolved quickly and without too much upset. I'd like to see him direct The Hobbit.

[IronHills Dwarf]

Well one link you might enjoy is http://www.edwardjayepstein.com/ homepage of a Hollywood economist. Well worth reading. :)

As for PJ and the Hobbit... I'm torn. In one sense PJ is a known quantity, he'd do a good job, but at the same time who knows? Someone else might do a stunning job. I have this little bug which keeps telling me I want to see a fresh take on ME. :grin:

[Eowyn]

lol I have that same bug! I think it depends who they get to do it though. I wouldn't want a big name director though. They should pick some fresh talent.

btw thanks for the link :)

[IronHills Dwarf]

Well one pick from me would be Toni Pykäläniemi. A young and extremely talented Finnish director who's fantasy short "Domoi - The Voyage Home" is fantastic. The official webpage for that short is here:
http://www.tuotantoyhtiovalo.fi/Domoi/

[Elvenrider]

Well. This isn't good. And I hope I'm not off topic for I only read the first page.
But here's my view on it:
There is no other way you can make a Tolkien film...its like Tolkien died in the middle of writing TTT and some other writer picks up from there. Its just not right!!! That's the same case, it just wont be the same Middle~Earth without PJ directing it!!!
Oh and another thing they better have McKellen, Hugo Weaving (Elrong) and Bilbo as the same characters!

[Cassandria]

Oh and another thing they better have McKellen, Hugo Weaving (Elrong) and Bilbo as the same characters!Well, they an pull off Hugo and Ian McKellen, because they are immortals and age very slowly. And although Bilbo aged slowly by the effects of the Ring, I doubt they can make Ian Holms look young enough. :-/

I wouldn't mind seeing another Director do the job if he has the same artistic passion as PJ. But if he's just another greedy person that wants to slap together the story just to make a buck on the fantasy bandwagon, then it will be an outrage.

[IronHills Dwarf]

Well. This isn't good. And I hope I'm not off topic for I only read the first page.
But here's my view on it:
There is no other way you can make a Tolkien film...its like Tolkien died in the middle of writing TTT and some other writer picks up from there. Its just not right!!! That's the same case, it just wont be the same Middle~Earth without PJ directing it!!!
Oh and another thing they better have McKellen, Hugo Weaving (Elrong) and Bilbo as the same characters!

Except that some book fans didn't really find that PJ's films did justice to the books.... ;) I don't dislike PJ's trilogy - in fact I greatly admire it, but that doesn't mean that I wouldn't like to see a different take on Middle-earth. PJ's films had their problems, any adaption of the Hobbit will have issues, but I personally am more and more leaning towards wanting to see the Hobbit appear on screen with a different driving artistic personality behind the film.

[Fingolfin]

Hey all,

After reading all the posts after mine I would agree that it is all about the politics and such but the bottom line it's about the money. I wanted to stay short but IHD took it to the next level. I still think that he and New Line are being stubborn.

As for the movies, I think it would be a good idea to get some fresh blood in there to direct. IHD, your right about Tokien fans and how they were.. umm unimpressed by his work and how it didn't do the books justice. The only thing I can say to that is he did a GREAT job with the time allotted ya know? Each movie could have been 12 hours long but I'm not sure how many people could last! I know I could have!! :grin:

Anyway, It's going to be intersting to see who the next person is that will take us back to Middle Earth. I just hope the movies are as good if not better than the first three. It's going to be hard to accomplish but it can be done. By the way, that Finnish director you were mentioning IHD, after seeing the short, it would be worth giving him a shot to see what he could come up with. I definately would like to be a fly on the wall when they start screening ideas from different directors!

And last but not least, they could use all three actors... That's why they call it "Movie Magic"!!! It wouldn't be the same without them!!!

[Eowyn]

Assuming the same actors came back it would be interesting to see how they got on with a new director and how that would effect the films.

[IronHills Dwarf]

Heya Fin,

Just to make myself clear, I'm not bashing PJ's films. I love 'em. But I think it's good to not fall into the trap of thinking they couldn't be improved upon. So I think we're pretty much on the same page there.

Maybe it'd be a good idea to start a new thread to toss around our ideas for who we think would do a good job in the director's chair? Should make an interesting discussion.

As for the actors, making someone look older isn't all that hard. Younger, much tougher to do. As long as they don't ask Elijah Wood back to play a young Bilbo! lol

[Eowyn]

There's someone out there that would be perfect to play the young Bilbo but I think it'll be an unknown.

[Elvenrider]

Well I would probly agree with IHD on the movies not giving the book justice but I have read all the way to Moria in Fellowship so far and...I don't know it seems fine...But I'm probably spoiled seeing the movie before actually reading it, so I picture the book as the movie...not the movie as the book you know?

I always wondered what it would be like to have read the LOTR books like 5 times each and then see the Fellowship for the first time, and se the characters and right off the bat know they're name without anyone telling you. Or being surprised by what happens in the movies or how the characters look.

[IronHills Dwarf]

Heya Elvenrider. I was one of those die-hard book fans to loved FotR and TTT, things got a little rockier by RotK. But in general I still love the films. It's just with the space of time that's gone now since the releases I notice more issues and problems. The fanboy joy has worn off a bit and I'm more objective.

Of course any new director for the Hobbit I'm sure would get his share of criticism from the fan community, you can't make everyone happy unfortunately. ;)

[Eowyn]

I saw FotR and then read the books and I think it helped me imagine it. Although it did mean I didn't enjoy TTT and RotK as much.

IHD you must have been young if you read the books first!

I think even if PJ came back he'd still get critised for the Hobbit even if he did it exactly as in the books. We're a fussy bunch really aren't we ;)

[IronHills Dwarf]

I first read the books for myself around 6 I think. Previously I'd had them read to me. So pretty young I guess.:grin:

Any group of fans having their literary darling adapted tend to be cranky about the details. lol

[Eowyn]

WOW that was young. I'm still annoyed at my primary school for telling me I shouldn't read books like that because they were too difficult. They said that about the Hobbit! (although thinking about it was a Church of England school so maybe they had other reasons for discouraging me from reading them :p )

lol well why shouldn't we. After all it's often the little details in the book that make it special.

[Elvenrider]

Ya that's true. Yes it helps you imagine it...like Balin's Tomb scene I noticed especially. But I think I'd of rather read the books before the movies... :/

[Eowyn]

I'm the same really. It's rare I can watch a film and then still find the interest in the books when I know how it ends. It has to be something truely spectacular for me to want to do that or on the advice of a few good friends who tell me the book is far better.

[Faramir]

When you read a book before the movie, you can use your imagination more. When i go back and read LOTR, i still remember how i imagined it the first time i read it, even being different from the movie. Which is why im glad i read them first, cause the movies couldn't take away my initial images of middle earth.

Anyway, back to The Hobbit. Any director they get will know the immense weight on their shoulders so i don't think they'd be too liberal with their interpretation. The Hobbit is a much more straight forward story than LOTR, anyway. The director doesn't have to be too well known either. I mean look at Jackson. What did he do before LOTR? The Frighteners, Heavenly Creatures, BAD TASTE!!! He made quite a name for himself i'd say.

[Fingolfin]

Hey all,

To tell you the truth, I really think that they will have a hard time finding a director. I'm sure that the directors that are interviewed will definately understand the severity of doing a good job. I mean, I'm sure every director out there has seen the movies and probably will think to themselves "Could I actually do this like PJ???" I mean, PJ did a wonderful job, probably better than anyone could have done, but the critisim that will come with the movie could make or brake director that will take this task on ya know? Especially if it's not up to the standard that PJ left us with.

As for the books, books are always better than movies. You just have to have a good imagination. If you need help with imagining then watching a movie should help and that is it. I have read the LOTR and the Silmarillion 7 times each and I have watched the movies (both versions, extended and regular) and both are missing so much like IHD said.... Movies just don't do books justice!! There is not enough time and movies have to be shortened.

In closing, PJ did a spectacular job with the LOTR trilogy, better then I thought.... and yes there will always be some critc bashing the movies because they don't do the books justice....

[Eowyn]

Actually I think that whoever takes on the challenge of the Hobbit will do it because they believe than can improve on PJ's lotr. They will be someone that sees an opportunity to show everyone how they think it should be done and they won't worry about what's been done before.

Think about the Harry potter films. It's the same world, the same characters but the last two films have have had different directors. Bot have brought their own touch to the films and both have improved on the original two. Neither worried about what had been done before. They just concentrated on the story and whatever they felt had the stongest theme in the books. That's why I'm looking forward to seeing who will take on the challenge of the Hobbit and just what they'll bring to the film.

Anyway just incase you haven't spotted the news link on the homepage, it has been confirmed it won't be Peter directing The Hobbit
http://www.scifi.com/scifiwire/index.php?category=3&id=39462

[Cassandria]

My biggest fear is that someone with dollar signs in their eyes will scoop up the project, wanting to get onto the fantasy bandwagon. I worry that they will slap it together in a hurry with as little cost as possible and no passion. They know that they already have the massive lure from the success of PJ's trilogy so even if the movie flops, they'll make quite a pretty penny. :-/

Ah, I was wondering why the third and fourth Potter films had a different air about them. I thought it was because of the cast replacements and the fact that the main actor was going through puberty. lol To be honest, I was very disappointed in the third one...but the fourth was pretty good. ;)

Thanks for the link, Eowyn but I haven't the heart to read all of it. mecry Shaye's childish decision sounds like it is set solid. :(

[Eowyn]

I don't think that's true of the fanbase. For instance if I heard bad reviews especially from fellow lotr fans I wouldn't pay to see it in the cinemas. I know a lot of my friends saw lotr but would have no interest in seeing The Hobbit. Somehow LotR to me seems like it will always make more money.

ok Cass I hope you've dropped into the HP movie thread. We need to have a proper discussion about these films now you've seen them!

I couldn't read all of it either. I read enough to get the jist and left it at that. :(

[IronHills Dwarf]

I have mixed feelings about this new announcement.

There's always two sides to a story and while Shaye's little diatribe seemed very misguided and his reasoning flawed - in essence, "we've given you enough money so go away" - I still think there's reason to look on the bright side.

We will get a Hobbit film.

I think that alone is reason to be just a little happy eh?

In fact we may get two more Middle-earth based films.

I think the thing to do now is get beyond any PJ related disappointment and focus on what the fan community can do to strive for a quality adaption of the Hobbit.

Instead of sending angry hate mail to Mr. Shaye perhaps fans would consider sending letters with their ideas for directors, artistic vision, locations, and potential cast members.

Rather than closing the door in frustration lets do what little we can to poke and prod and hopefully get a quality film - PJ isn't the only one who can make a honest and faithful adaption.

I think it's worthwhile investing some thought into suggestions to New Line, in the remote hope that they will be considerate to fans, rather than turn a blind eye to Middle-earth - a place, that to me, PJ doesn't have an exclusive license on.

[HobbitFriend]

Whether or not PJ directs The Hobbit, I'll be excited that it's even made :)

Since PJ did such a great job with LotR, I'd feel safer if he also directed The Hobbit, but hopefully the new director will do the job just as well.

...and I thought someone else had the distribution rights... If New Line does make The Hobbit, they can't actually release it without getting the rights from the other company, right?

OR... this company (Mirimax was it??) might be able to buy the rights to the movie from New Line (highly unlikely, I know) and PJ could still direct it! ...or not. :huh:

[Fingolfin]

I agree, we should get past the PJ disappointment and move on. I just hope that whoever does direct the two movies (Which there will be IHD) will use the same sets, props, and locations. It wouldn't be Middle Earth with out them you know.

We all should be excited on getting to see the Hobbit come to life along with the prequel to the Hobbit and LOTR. Which in turn, the prequel will be much more exciting to me just because we are getting a little of the Silmarillion.

As for contacting New Line and others, I think it would be great for LOTR fans to support and contribute to what they are planning to do. You can't be a good leader without listening to suggestions and opinions. Especially from such a large fan base.

All in all, I'm just excited to here more about the two movies progress, lets get on with it.... LOTR Fans... Oaths we have taken.. to land and lord... now fullfill them all!!!

[hobbitguy1]

i've found a couple sites that have some info about the movie and jackson

www.thehobbitfilm.com
www.thehobbit.cc

[Faramir]

i guess there's rumors of Sam Raimi directing. course thats all they might be.

[Fingolfin]

Okay if there are rumors where are the links so we can read??? SHARE THE WEALTH!!! LOL :grin:

[Faramir]

http://www.cinematical.com/2007/01/28/sam-raimi-reportedly-wants-to-take-on-the-hobbit/

[Fingolfin]

You know I really just wish all this poo-poo would be over between New Line and PJ. It's just crazy!

But if someone else is going to direct the Hobbit let's get a move on... Were not getting any younger. I'm sure whoever does it will follow in PJ foot steps!!

In closing, Nice article Faramir!!! Kudos!!!

[Eowyn]

Now I discovered something on a Rover of the Rings tour around Wellington. The guide was explaining that PJ may still get to direct The Hobbit. Apparently New Line only have the rights to it until the end of the year. Then another company have the rights (didn't say who) but apparently they have already said PJ will be their first choice. Guess we'll have to see if New Line can get a wriggle on.

[Fingolfin]

Wow, Very interesting! Keep us posted! You know this brings up a point that I have been wanting to make. The poll that is being run about The Hobbit Movie (that I'm sure everyone has seen) I just want to say.. I would love PJ to do it but I'm sure there are other directors who can do just as good a job. It would be neat to see PJ do it but I just want to see the movies! My fingers are crossed for PJ but I'm not going to hold my breath!

[Cassandria]

The thing is, we know PJ will do it right...no doubt about it. But any other director, we don't know for sure. It's a gamble. How many well made fantasy films have come out since LotRs? :-/ I'd really like to see the Hobbit made well...or not at all. And I'd REALLY like to see Ian McKellan in it. :cool:

[Elf Girl]

I second that, Cassandria. I also think It'd be nice to see some of the other LotR cast members return.

[Elf Girl]

Now I discovered something on a Rover of the Rings tour around Wellington. The guide was explaining that PJ may still get to direct The Hobbit. Apparently New Line only have the rights to it until the end of the year. Then another company have the rights (didn't say who) but apparently they have already said PJ will be their first choice. Guess we'll have to see if New Line can get a wriggle on.That's very interesting.... And if I remember right, MGM is still supposed to have the distribution rights. If so, they've said they want PJ to direct. And there's no point in making a movie/s if you can't distribute them. lol

[Fingolfin]

Yes I agree that PJ has the right ideas and passion for the movies (He did a wonderful job) but I'm just saying there are directors out there who could do it just as good. You can't be closed minded about this. I know that PJ did a wonderful job and many people love what he did but lets face it, there is a legal battle going on and it is affecting all of us (as fans). I mean, we can look at all the Batman movies for example... The last batman that came out was Batman Begins and it was ten times the movie of the first few. Who's to say that another director couldn't do the same with the Hobbit and the prequel to the Hobbit. If PJ gets the rights to direct it WONDERFUL! But I'm open minded enough to think that if another director was to do them they could be just as wonderful, if not better! It's a risk we all have to take and be ready to embrace it!

[Eowyn]

The thing is, we know PJ will do it right...no doubt about it. But any other director, we don't know for sure. It's a gamble. How many well made fantasy films have come out since LotRs? :-/ I'd really like to see the Hobbit made well...or not at all. And I'd REALLY like to see Ian McKellan in it. :cool:
lol Cass that comment made me scream "EEEEK WE NEED PJ!" :beg: :lmao:

You know I think Ian McKellen would happily return as Gandalf.

Having spent the last couple of weeks in NZ I have only one demand request with regards to The Hobbit. It HAS to be filmed in NZ. The place is perfect for Middle Earth. I couldn't possibly imagine it being filmed anywhere else.

[Fingolfin]

Eowyn, I do agree about one thing.. It definately should be filmed in NZ. No question!!!!

[IronHills Dwarf]

Hmm... I can imagine it being filmed lots of other places. :p

Siberia for instance and certain north Indian forests for Mirkwood.

I'll be vocal again in my opinion that another director could possibly do a better job, with different locations, actors and artistic leanings.

Which is not to say JP+NZ wouldn't be fantastic of course. :grin:

[Fingolfin]

IHD! Glad to see your back! Been a while! Yeah I would like to see some different places as well. You still would have to have some NZ settings just to make it feel like your back in middle earth. As for actors, well I still think you would have to have a few of the same charachters to make it work. Elrond, Gandalf and even Bilbo....

As for the director part... I totally agree with you on that!

Cheers! :beer:

[Elf Girl]

Here's a bit more news on the whole Sam vs. PJ thing: http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=19917 It looks like he really is considering it, at least.

[IronHills Dwarf]

Let's just hope Rami doesn't get a chance to do it. ;)

[Elf Girl]

Aye! ;)

[Mel Aina Fea]

I just wanted to chime in and say that what I am really concerned about ( along with global warming and world peace ) is whether the director stays faithfull to the book or not. When I first heard that LOTR was being made into a movie I was a bit sad. I was expecting a violent, adults-only sort of mockery of Tolkein's work. Thank God I was wrong. I realize that there will be some changes like the number of dwarves, etc, but so long as the director sticks to the book.

[IronHills Dwarf]

There is a very unconfirmed rumor that Peter Weir (Master & Commander) has been approached for The Hobbit.

If this is true I would be a happy, happy man, and would gladly donate all my spare cash to have him make it.

He's a director with a dedication to high quality props, locations, acting, and a sense of gritty realism. He could, in my mind, do a better job than Jackson would have.

I would be close to having a heart attack if Raimi gets it.

[Elf Girl]

That's interesting. I agree, he probably wouldn't be bad at it. I liked his work on M&C... But I'm still a PJ fan. lol

[Dunthule]

Peter Wier would be an interesting pick as director.
I like'd his Dead Poets Society and The Truman Show too.
And Witness is one of my all time favorites.

Q: Does he have the imagination to latch on to ME in the Hobbit?
Hmmm... :mmmm:

[IronHills Dwarf]

I think he's the type who would stick by the book, carefully and consistently. I'd like to see that approach, creatively, as long as a good design department was assembled, I wouldn't worry to much about Weir's abilities on that front.

[Faramir]

i'm pretty sure WETA would still do it.

[Fingolfin]

I would have to agree. Peter Weir would be an excellent choice. Yeah, I would love to see PJ still get the chance but if not, we definately need a director who would follow his perception of ME. I think the importance of staying true to the story and paying close attention to locations is the most important aspects. He did a wonderful job with M&C and would love to see what he would come up with.

Let's face it, if PJ can't do it are you willing as LOTR fans not to support the next director?? I'm sure whoever is contacted or approached about directing the movie is nervous as hell because of the wonderful job PJ did. It's going to be a hard act to follow. I myself will give support to a director such as Peter Weir, no questions asked!

[Gollum the Great]

My thoughts are to get Ralph Bakshi should be brought back into the project!! He is the reason why we have the original LOTR movie(s) altough the last 2 movies were never released:-/ Now granted, hes more animation than realistic... but! He did mix the two together in the 70's, so why not the whole thing in real life? I dont see how it could be a problem. In all honesty, he would be true to the books MORE so than PJ ever was.
Theres my 2 cents in the whole thing

[Frodo's Pearl]

I will be happy if any good director does it, whether if it's PJ or not. I'm not going to avoid it if PJ doesn't do it, but the movie DOES need a good, dedicated director.

[Eowyn]

I think most directors would be dedicated. They know the fanbase for lotr was huge and will want to better PJ. Put their own style into it and create something to be remembered rather than just to follow on from the legacy lotr left behind.

[Fingolfin]

I think with a new director with his own style could definately bring that to the table Ami. Especially with the Prequel to the Hobbit and LOTR. That is probably going to be the last book in the Sil. "Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age. You almost have to have a new look ya know. I mean you still want to follow a little bit of the story and the settings but for the most part you would want to follow suit for the fans...

I think whoever does it will do a wonderful job! Hopefully PJ but I will support any director that takes on this challenge...

[Elf Girl]

The One Ring (http://www.theonering.net/index.stat) seems to be fair buzzing lately with more on TH. Of course, it's all speculating, but at least they've not forgotten it. :grin:

[Ilmarë]

I read today that PJ (or his solicitors) and New Line (for that read Shaye) are in talks about PJ helming The Hobbit

http://www.stuff.co.nz/4160162a1860.html

There may yet be some hope:cool:

[Amithrellas]

Ooooh, thanks for the update, Ilmarë! That's really exciting stuff! :hyper:
Should be front page news that ;)
Just thinking of Sir Ian being Gandalf in The Hobbit makes my knees go all wobbly...

[Laurelin]

*prays to the Valar that TH will be filmed* This would be awesome. I do hope it comes to pass! veryhappy

[Ilmarë]

Imagine - more of Gandalf, Bilbo, Gollum... and quite possibly Aragorn and Leggy:naughty::naughty::naughty: ... and not forgetting Smaug. I'mbeside myself thinking what that beastie will look like!!

[Lessa]

Aragorn wasn't in the Hobbit. Legolas wasn't mentioned by name but seeing as they are in the Halls of his father then he could well be present.

[Ilmarë]

Isn't he old enough to have been around?

[Elf Girl]

Yeah... In fact, he's probably off Gollum-hunting for Mithrandir, if I remember right. ;)

[Frodo's Pearl]

Don't worry, they'll manage to squeeze Legolas in there somehow. But I read somewhere that Orlando Bloom said, if PJ isn't going to film it, then he won't be back for Legolas. *Feels all Orli fans start praying* I'm also wondering if maybe Glorfindel will make it. (For once!) And I hope Andy Serkis is Gollum again! As for Arwen, if they put her in, it would be wrong. She's supposed to be in Lothlorien around that time. And Aragorn? Perhaps very young Aragorn could be in Rivendell, (or Gollum-hunting) but there really isn't any reason for him to be in the movie.

[Laurelin]

It will be interesting how PJ does this movie. Will it be like the book in its style?? Or will it be more like LotR style? :huh: I can't wait to find out. I just hope we all get the opportunity to find out! I doubt if Aragorn will be in it or even Legolas (darn the luck) for that matter but you know what?? I'm ok with that just as long as PJ does the Hobbit cause I'm sure it will be totally awesome! veryhappy

(...but yeah I'd totally love Leggy in it!! :drool: ) :p

[Elf Girl]

I second you, Laurelin. Leggy'd be awesome, but PJ is the most important part to me, and Ian McKellen. They pretty much equal TH, to me. "One can only hope!" ;)

[Ilmarë]

Absolutely PJ is the most important factor - I was just thinking who was around at the time, even though they may not be referred to in the book. Depends on the spin PJ gives this (WHEN is happens ;)) and how much he wants to work with members of the original cast. I'm sure he could fit Leggy and Argorn in there somewhere;)

No matter, I'll just be excited as hell is he's helming this

[Laurelin]

Exactly! And I totally can't wait for more Gandalf as well. Ian McKellen Rocks!! :yahoo:

[Elf Girl]

IMDB has a page for TH now: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0903624/ It doesn't say anything, really, but at least it's there, with (I would guess) a very tenative release date of Dec. 1, '09 .

[Lessa]

at the time of the hobbit Aragorn was only 10 and living with his mother in Rivendell. He met Arwen when he was 20 when she returned to Rivendell to stay with her father.

[Frodo's Pearl]

Thanks for letting us know that, Lessa, I was really wondering about that. ;)

[Elf Girl]

Seems like Sam's not going to be involved—>http://www.wizarduniverse.com/movies/other/005415993.cfm.

"Q: Are you involved with “The Hobbit”?
SR: I am not involved. I respect the director [Peter Jackson] a great deal and he may do it some day, so no."

[IronHills Dwarf]

Well hearing Raimi's not involved made my day. :)

[Dunthule]

One thing I look forward to is alot more than just one dwarf.

And of course the giant sized Beorn. :)

And we should see Bree, Rivendell (Last Homely House), Shelob's kids, etc.

All great stuff! :cool:

[Elf Girl]

More recent stuff from theonering.net on the SR issue: "UPDATE After checking around a bit with some sources, it seems Raimi is still potentially available to direct 'The Hobbit.' His answer to the question during the Comic-Con panel was intended to diffuse more 'Hobbit' questions and concentrate on the '30 Days of Night' questioning. One source tells us that he was in fact not involved with The Hobbit at that point, as there are ongoing talks about making the Hobbit happen. So his answer of 'No' is accurate."

So is he? Or isn't he? I can't figure it out.

[BelovedCaptain]

I'll be very sad if PJ isn't doing this. :(

[Frodo's Pearl]

I'll be dissapointed too, but it wouldn't stop me from seeing it.

I can't wait to see Beorn, and the Dwarves! But don't look for John Rhys-Davis; he officially announced on the EE RotK DVD that he will never again play a dwarf. mecry

[BelovedCaptain]

Well, I understand why. The poor guy sounded like he had a horrible time. It's too bad, though. He was hilarious.

[Frodo's Pearl]

I know it. All that prosthetic on the face! I hope that the people who will be cast as the 13 dwarves won't be intimidated by the thought of what John had to go through. :p

[Elf Girl]

Who knows... they might have a less face-unfriendly way of doing it by then. If not, as PJ says, "Pain is temporary, film is forever." ;)

[Amithrellas]

Oh, I think I've had enough of John Rhys-Davies in LotR. I think he did a great job with Gimli :thumbs: but I hated that PJ used his voice for Treebeard. It's such a distinctive voice - if it appeared in The Hobbit, I'd feel like I was suffering from overkill :p

[Frodo's Pearl]

Gosh, really? I loved Treebeard's voice.

[Elf Girl]

You know, until this last time through TTT, I knew that Rhys-Davies did that voice, but I hadn't noticed it. This time watching it, I noticed it, but only when his voice wasn't so "breathy". It doesn't really bother me, though.

[BelovedCaptain]

Me neither. I loved Treebeard. And JRD was a hilarious Gimli! He just cracked me and my dad up.

[Frodo's Pearl]

Oh, he's SUCH a faboulous actor, he really is!

I really wonder who's going to play Thranduil?

[Laurelin]

I'm dying to know who as well! I have a couple of actors in mind that I think would be good imho. :p But we'll see soon I hope, eh? :hyper:

[BelovedCaptain]

Let's hope so!! Who'll play Bilbo???

[Elf Girl]

I'm anxious to see who those two'll be, too.

torn has a nice little summary of TH issues so far: http://www.theonering.net/perl/newsview/8/1189963525

[Frodo's Pearl]

Just read on TORN that Cate Blanchette will be happy to play Galadriel, if, with Aragorn, Legolas, etc, she would happen to be added to "The Hobbit", but with the same condtion: only of PJ does it.

[Elf Girl]

PJ just won the first battle about LotR profits, according to this: http://www.stuff.co.nz/4209065a1860.html article.

[Dunthule]

Fantastic! :)
I can't wait to hear more details.
I wonder if PJ will break it down to two movies as I've read in the past.

[Frodo's Pearl]

Yikes, two movies? Never heard that. Now I don't know what to think. But if it means keeping all of the book's elements in the film, then I'm not against two.

[Eowyn]

Not sure he'd need two films. The book isn't that long and I think he'd be pushing his luck. He just needs to do a nice long film like the others and he's got plenty of time ;)

[Elf Girl]

According to this: http://www.mania.com/56206.html website, New Line's agreed to pay Pete.

[Elf Girl]

Also, EW has TH issue on the cover! —>http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20036782_20037403_20142132,00.html

[Ilmarë]

Thanks for that Elf Girl. I too read that its likely that 2 films will be made. Hmm... got my Elf ears to the ground on this one;)

[Elf Girl]

Glasen nin (my pleasure)! :grin: TORN is like my morning paper... actually, I don't read the paper that often, so it's more like my breakfast. lol

I'm kind of hoping they keep it at one movie. Two's pushing the limits of true-to-Tolkien-ism, IMO.

More news on the $$ mess—>http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20071005/film_nm/rings_dc

[Frodo's Pearl]

I hope it will be one movie too.

[Ilmarë]

Sheesh the whole legal thing sounds awful, but if New Line have been unfair they should cough up the cash owed to PJ. That of course could completely ruin them...

[Dunthule]

Not sure he'd need two films. The book isn't that long and I think he'd be pushing his luck. He just needs to do a nice long film like the others and he's got plenty of time ;)

Great point. I read (it's been months) that he wanted to do the Hobbit and a pre-quel to LOTRs using parts from other JRRT works (appendixes, etc.)

I think PJ just loves JRRT's work and the more of it he can tell on film, the better in his mind. My humble opinion. :)

[Elf Girl]

More news—>http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2007/10/10/new-line-ceo-the-hobbit-is-in-the-future/ :)

[Dunthule]

Well, let's hope they've put their differences aside and start the ball rolling!
Thanks Ilmare! :)

[Ilmarë]

Looks like the news on this is all positive at the moment... which is excellent. I'm trying very hard not to get excited just yet:cool:

[Frodo's Pearl]

I keep on hoping! It IS starting to get me quite excited.

[Fingolfin]

I think the Hobbit will happen sooner than we all think. There is so much buzz going on about it it's bound to happen. I think everybody (New line, PJ, etc..) will come to their sences and realize the movies have to be made and should be. (You can't really see it but that's a BIG period!)

Let's face it, all of us that are on the GS want it to happen, how about the millions of other people that want it to happen. In my opinion, if the Hobbit and the Prequel to the Hobbit are made, they will gross more money then any other movie ever made. Especially if PJ is involved!

As they would say in boxing... "LET'S GET IT ON!!!"

[Frodo's Pearl]

That's a very good point. Move over, Spiderman, or whomever holds the record now! :p

[Dunthule]

Yes, a little furry footed Hobbit is coming to town. :)

[Eowyn]

I would rather not see them rush into this film though. If, nay when, they get round to making this film I want to see it done properly. We just have to be patient until then. It will be at least a coule of years away if PJ does it though because I didn't think he had finished "The Lovely Bones" yet :huh:

[Ilmarë]

Found this today

http://www.aintitcool.com/node/30806


oh and Eowyn ... Mr Lee likes Christopher better;) .. i'm best mates with his niece, she told me after I had the audacity to call him Chris:plollollol

[Frodo's Pearl]

You know Christopher Lee's niece??

[Ilmarë]

Sure do.. she's one of my bestest friends!!

[Elf Girl]

That's sweet! :grin:

[Frodo's Pearl]

It's a small world!

[Eowyn]

Found this today

http://www.aintitcool.com/node/30806


oh and Eowyn ... Mr Lee likes Christopher better;) .. i'm best mates with his niece, she told me after I had the audacity to call him Chris:plollollol
:blush: Well my original sig didn't have enough room for his full name. I'd never have called him Chris otherwise but thanks for the heads up. I'll go change it now there's actually room for it lol

ohh thanks for the news. I knew they had to wait until they got the rights back next year but I'm glad they've at least made a decision.

[crazymonkey 4 frodo]

How depressing...how long have they been talking about this again??? It seems like forever....c'mon already.

WE WANT A MOVIE!!! :angry:

[IronHills Dwarf]

Movies take time, despite what might seem like an obvious money maker you've still got to get that $150-200 mil. together. It's not always easy, throw in scheduling madness and all the current problems New Line is facing on this film... well I don't really expect to see anything any time soon. Personally I'm more interested in seeing New Line lose the rights than any sort of a rush job on the film. Heck, we waited long enough for a live action LotR, I personally can handle another few for the Hobbit.

Besides which, PJ unhindered by a studio is likely to push the envelope on cinema run times again... :p Which I personally find somewhat humorous. But maybe that's just me.

[Eowyn]

He does tend to tack advantage of any bit of freedom he gets with a film, which I suppose he should. Plus long films (assuming they're good) are better value for money. That doesn't mean all films should be 3 hours long though!:nono: Some films should have cut a lot more than they did:snooze:

[IronHills Dwarf]

Agreed. Which is why I personally find RotK in theaters a bit much. However I very much like having my extended DVDs. But home viewing allows for a little more leeway in the viewing experience. 2 1/2 hours is usually more than enough for me in a narrow, uncomfortable seat (and more than likely) with a screaming child next to me. Of course this is the whole debate arising now with more big screen TVs in homes and a theater industry that likes to claim it's failing...

Getting back to the Hobbit... I honestly don't believe shooting will begin until at least 2009, more probably 2010. Stalled mega-projects, however much hype is attached, are hardly something new in Hollywood. And I still would like a new director (but not Raimi) and a new 'look' for the film/s.

[Eowyn]

With the amount of money I pay to see a film at the cinema these days there is absolutely no way it is failing! :p

I agree. It'll be 2009 at least before filming starts but it will still be nteresting to watch the rumours fly!

[Aranelwen]

It's really exciting to hear that there going to make a movie after The Hobbit. I hope its as good as the Lord of the Rings movies.

[Frodo's Pearl]

Here you go, all.

http://marketsaw.blogspot.com/2007/11/hot-hobbit-news-jackson-will-helm.html

[Elf Girl]

Yeah, I saw that on TORN. I'm highly skeptical of its accuracy. Who knows. It could be true...

[Frodo's Pearl]

I don't see why it's not possoble.

[Ilmarë]

http://www.cinemablend.com/new/Peter-Jackson-For-Hobbit-3D-Rumor-Debunked-Sort-Of-7080.html

[Elf Girl]

I'm not getting excited over it. We've had rumours before—many of which were soon disproven. That's not to say, however, that this couldn't be true. I'm just waiting for my ear-splitting squeals of happiness until there's something quite official released about the whole TH thing. ;)

[Elfdaughter]

As Ilmare said....it ain't happening. Nuts, cos I was getting all worked up about it too.

[Frodo's Pearl]

The nerve of some people. :angry::rolleyes:

[IronHills Dwarf]

I trust Ain't it Cool and those other sites about as much as the homeless guy on the street corner. ;)

Really I'd suggest everyone just relax for a few months, the rumor mill isn't worth the effort.... :rolleyes:

[Elf Girl]

Quite true. ;)

[Elf Girl]

*is speechless* Look! —> http://www.theonering.net/ and http://www.thehobbitblog.com/ I think, I just think, it might be really happening.... *can't even scream with excitement, because she can't quite believe it*

[Frodo's Pearl]

I was just coming here to post that!!! Eeeee! Can it really be true?? *Squeezes Elf Girl in her excitement* :hyper: :hyper:

[Elfdaughter]

If TORN's backing the storyline, I'm tempted to believe it....

[Frodo's Pearl]

It was in my newspaper today!!! veryhappy

[Laurelin]

I read it too. I hope this means good things to come and not a half-baked attempt at a beautiful piece of work. *crosses fingers*

[IronHills Dwarf]

Read it as well... The downside is PJ is only on as executive producer. This means he'll likely be somewhat less hands-on involved with the production than some might hope.

A far bigger issue for me is still the director...

[Elf Girl]

*squeezes F'sP back* ;) *is finally believing it* :grin: Now I just hope that it works out so that Pete is more involved. I know he'll definitely have a good say in things, but I'm just praying the feel and care given to the trilogy carry on in TH.

[Laurelin]

Read it as well... The downside is PJ is only on as executive producer. This means he'll likely be somewhat less hands-on involved with the production than some might hope.

A far bigger issue for me is still the director...

Yeah I have to agree with you IH. That concerns me too. Do you think they will do the movie like the book as in the writing style since it is different from the LotR...? Or do you think it will be more like LotR in its style? That always had me wondering as well...

[IronHills Dwarf]

Another issue is of course who's going to write it... I'm slightly worried about this idea of a 2009 shoot and no writer announced. It's not much time at all and I would really worried about a bit of a hack job due to time constraints. Same goes for the whole production really, one of the reasons LotR turned out so well is the fact that pre-pro and scripting started years before.... This won't be possible for these Hobbit projects.

In terms of style I really have no idea, I could tell you what I'd like to see.... ;) But that hardly makes a difference. :p

[Ilmarë]

Do we really think that PJ will be able to keep his hands off this project THAT much? I mean, it has to fit with LOTR... I think he'll be more hands on than we think

[IronHills Dwarf]

Executive producer is a title that usually means otherwise. Not to say he can't be involved creatively, or won't, but as exec he's not going to be spending everyday on the shoot or in pre-pro or in post. ;) If he had the time for that he wouldn't be down as an exec producer.

And it doesn't have to fit in with LotR. The pessimistic side of me really sees this as a more typical commercial venture from Hollywood, rather than the labor of love that was LotR. But it's a business, the two films are properties and this is how it works (plus time is ticking on the properties). Nothing surprising. Not saying it can't be a pair of fantastic films - I'm still very interested and excited to see how it turns out.

But they'd better snag a writer quickly because a year plus a bit isn't much time to deliver a couple of massive scripts. ;)

[Elf Girl]

Article mentioning Sam R. as a potential director—>http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117978006.html?categoryId=13&cs=1&query=%22sam+raimi%22+%22the+hobbit%22 (towards the end is the bit on TH)

[Elvenrider]

woo yay I'm happy....the one mistake in casting that I seriously hope they don't make is casting shia lebouf for Bilbo. Nothing against him but he just doesn't seem right for the part.
Does anyone know when it might be released

[Elf Girl]

IMDB has it listed as a 2010 movie, but dates often get moved... http://imdb.com/title/tt0903624/

[Elvenrider]

alright...goody!!! :)

[Elf Girl]

A potential director?... http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3i331d7d05b8008476b2fae087024a2b8e

[IronHills Dwarf]

Del Toro would be better than I could have dreamed.... Please let this one be true. It makes sense though he's got nothing lined up after finishing Hellboy II. (which, if you haven't watched the trailer yet, gives a nice taste of what this man can do with fantasy)

[Frodo's Pearl]

TORN now says it's a 99% chance of him being director. They just haven't signed anything yet.. but there is a video!

[Dunthule]

Hmm .. methinks The Hobbit will be dark based on Del Toro's other works.

[Frodo's Pearl]

I actually don't know much about Del Toro. :p

[Elf Girl]

Me neither... Then again, I'd never seen any of Jackson's movies before Rings. I'm being "cautiously optimistic" at the moment.

[Ilmarë]

Excellent article in this month's Empire magazine - really gave me goosebumps reading it.
Although PJ won't be directing, he will be having a lot of say about the 2 films and the look of them - and there should be continuity. Andy Serkis is on to play Gollum again and looks like Orlando, Ian McK, Christopher Lee and possibly Viggo could be there too. The second film loks likely to fill in the 60 years or so between the Hobbit and LOTR.

[Frodo's Pearl]

I heard that Elijah Wood would be greatly interested in playing Frodo again, if it happened to be a movie connecting the events of "The Hobbit" to LotR. :whoohoo:

Viggo, huh? He better be in the second one, not the first. ;)

If it IS a movie connecting the two, perhaps Ian Holm could play older Bilbo again! I also think that he should do a bit of narrating in it, even if only "In a hole in the ground, there lived a hobbit." That's GOTTA be in there.

[Dunthule]

I'm really curious if they keep some of JRRT's humour in the story.
Ex: The origin of the game of golf. lol

[Elf Girl]

Well, that is an encouraging thought, Ilmarë. :) I'm hoping and praying for the best.

[JemFinch]

Del Toro. Wow.
I saw Pan's Labyrinth, and I liked that.
But Hellboy...Hobbit...Hellboy...Hobbit...something doesn't add up here.
Heavy sigh.
But it could possibly be great! And if Peter Jackson hand-picked him, then that has to be a pretty good sign....Possibly. I hope?

[sillyhobbit]

PJ may not be directing, but he is helping out with a ton of the production elements (his slot in the scriptwriting is a huge relief), so at the very least, we'll be returning to the world and the language of middle-earth

[Frodo's Pearl]

I think it would be great if Saruman (played by Christopher Lee, of course!) ended up being in the film. It would be logical and true to the story, because Gandalf leaves Bilbo and the Dwarves to hold council with him.

Just read that Howard Shore would be interested in doing "The Hobbit"'s score.

[sillyhobbit]

I think this project needs Howard Shore just as much as it needs Peter Jackson :p

[Elf Girl]

Quite true. And TORN was reporting that he seems willing to do it. :grin:

[Dunthule]

Does anyone remember the excitement the 1-2 years preceeding the first LoTR movie? I came across the original internet trailer from April 2000, which got everyone very torqued! :cool:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FosxdUBWX-I

When will we see something similar for the Hobbit?? :grin:

[Frodo's Pearl]

Cool! I've gotta watch that next time I go to the library (which has faster Net than I do. :p)

[Periantari Andruil]

I'm wary against Del Toro is because he hasn't read all of LotR as of the last interview before he was even considered, indicated. I want someone to be someone faithful to the books, especially in the second movie that bridges the 60 years between The Hobbit and LotR... so there better be a Tolkien expert for= screenwriting at least...

THe latest news has Elijah Wood supporting Del Toro... the article is here from MTV via link from TORN:
http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2008/02/21/elijah-wood-calls-guillermo-del-toro-perfect-for-hobbit/

[Frodo's Pearl]

Hm, well that's interesting. I know that Elijah has always loved "The Hobbit", so..

[Elvenrider]

Wow nice link I was too little to be looking up trailers then but that gets me excited just looking at that old LOTR Trailer...wow the anticipation you guys must have felt before this movie came out. I wish I had read the books (granted I was like 8 lol) by then. Then I would have been so excited when they came out...but instead a friend showed me the DVD to FOTR then I saw TTT twice in theatre's...and of course so on.
...Wow Dunthule I can't believe that trailer made me so excited about something I can already see now. lol crazy

[Dunthule]

LOL Elvenrider. lol
Sometime (I hope soon), we'll see something similar for The Hobbit. :cool:

[Elvenrider]

Oh and wouldn't that be a real treat? :D

[Fingolfin]

http://www.firstshowing.net/2008/03/26/ian-mckellen-says-he-will-return-as-gandalf-in-the-hobbit/

It's just simply wonderful news!!! :grin: Hope you enjoy!!!

[Elf Girl]

Yeah, I read that today. *is doing happy elf dance* :grin:

[Fingolfin]

I know me too!!! :wiggle:

[BryonsBoas]

If nothing is set in stone yet then that means they can still get the meatheads that did D&D and Eragon. I shiver at the thought. Hopefully PJ has enough pull in his position to be a deciding factor in the final choice.

[Frodo's Pearl]

Oh, I'm so excited! We need our Gandalf back!

[Fingolfin]

BB.. I'm sure PJ has plenty of pull to get who he wants. I mean he is the Executive Producer! LOL ;)

[BryonsBoas]

They also said he would never work for them again , LOL. As long as its made and made well I'll be happy. I don't hold my breath that anything goes right or works like it should when it comes to Hollywood.

[Fingolfin]

BB.. I'm sure if PJ has anything to do with the Hobbit it's going to be fantastic! All those people out there that wouldn't see the movies because as they said "The Lord of the Rings should not be made into a movie because no one can do it justice". In my opinion, I thought PJ did a wonderful job with the trilogy. He had three books that he had to condense. Granted each movie was missing a lot but still it brought all of us to Middle Earth.. Closer than anyone could have possibly done! So with that said.. PJ is probably going to surpass the LOTR's Trilogy with the Hobbit. You know you always strive to do better than before and that is just human nature. ;) PJ is one who will do just that!

[Elf Girl]

A bit more from Del Toro... http://hollywoodinsider.ew.com/2008/04/del-toro-hobbit.html. I find the possibility of PJ, Fran, and Phillippa being involved in the screenwriting to be a slight encouragement. I'd feel better if I knew how much they'll be contributing to that.

[Frodo's Pearl]

That's a good sign. I feel that we REALLY need someone who is really familiar with the story and its elements, so it looks like we may be having that.

[Ilmarë]

Ach maybe i'm just an optimist, but I think that this film will have all the hallmarks we expect. Let's not forgret that PJ didn't direct all of the trilogy - Barrie Osbourne and others directed scenes while PH produced them... I think he and Fran and Phillipa will want this to be a seamless transition into their trilogy.

[Ilmarë]

This is also good news

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/movies/a92828/shore-returning-to-score-the-hobbit.html

[Lessa]

oh good!!!! I like this idea it measn there will be a consistancy throughout.

[Elfdaughter]

Oh, I'm so pleased Shore will be working on the Hobbit!

[Ilmarë]

Yes! Makes me fairly sure that we're going to get the consistency we want in these films!

[Ilmarë]

http://www.stuff.co.nz/4467018a1860.html :grin:

[Elf Girl]

Sir Ian sounds pretty certain... http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/columnists/pandora/pandora-pa-problems-bug-tony-blair-805481.html

[Elf Girl]

News from Del Toro himself... (at least I think it's legit) http://boards.universalpictures.com/hellboy/index.php?showtopic=263

[Dunthule]

Certainly good news if it's all true. (Screen play in process and production due to start soon.) :)

[Elf Girl]

Well, it definitely appears to be true... http://newboards.theonering.net/forum/gforum/perl/gforum.cgi?post=90953#90953 and http://www.variety.com/VR1117984595.html and http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/4496833a1870.html... :whoohoo:

[Arwen_Evenstar]

Well I haven't posted here in ages...literally, haha. But when I saw the news on the "Hobbit" I had to come share my excitment! :)

[Arwen~Undómiel]

So, PJ is not going to be director of The Hobbit movie??
I think that's horrible! I fear anybody else is going to ruin the movie!!

[Elf Girl]

No, but he's executive producing TH, as Lucas did for SW... Depending on how much PJ choses to be involved, he could have just about as much influence this way as he did directing. I'm pretty hopeful at this point that we'll have a good two movies, especially with Sir Ian, and Andy looking as though they'll return.

[Arwen~Undómiel]

I'm sure the movies are going to be good if PJ is involved..I'm just wondering how good....I think it's bad that he's not directing them, because he, Fran and Philippa were as involved as noone else was on LotR and they simply have so much background knowledge after shooting the movies. I think they should be doing the same wih TH....just my opinion...

[Frodo's Pearl]

I do have a lot of hope in this, and I think that it WILL be a great production.

[Arwen~Undómiel]

I'm really looking forward to TH...I'm sure the movies are going to be good...I hope so, because the book is really great and it would be sad if they ruin the movies...so, I'll just continue hoping!lol

[Ilmarë]

I don't think we have any reason to fear - PJ's influence on this is gonna be massive. He, Fran and Phillipa will be scripting and some reports say he's co producing. The fact that Del Torro is moving to NZ for 4 years shows his commitment and they want all 5 films to run seamlessly as one story - I'm thinking this is ALL good:elfqueen:

[Frodo's Pearl]

Ooh, now I'm getting sooo excited! *Shivers*